


Unprofessional

by Quaggy



Category: Sports Night
Genre: Dialogue-Only, Gen, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-25 07:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7523848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quaggy/pseuds/Quaggy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-series. Dana is worried that she's been acting unprofessionally. Isaac doesn't know what she's talking about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unprofessional

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted February 12, 2010. My friend gave me a prompt for a 100 word drabble: "Sports Night - Dana, Isaac, professionalism". I tried to make it a drabble. It did not want to be a drabble.

"Isaac, do you think I'm unprofessional?"

"What?"

"You do, don't you?"

"Dana, have I ever given you a reason to believe that I think you're anything less than excellent at your job?"

"No, but—"

"Then what brought this on?"

"I was watching some talk show—"

"Always a mistake."

"I had it on for background noise. But the topic was about how there's this current trend to portray women in the workplace as being more concerned about their own personal lives than they are at doing their jobs. The panel was going on and on about how these characters were so unprofessional and they were such bad role models and I realized I do that! I talk about my personal life at work all the time! I'm a bad role model and I didn't even know it."

"Dana, I talk about my personal life at work. I was showing pictures of my grandson just this morning. Does that make me a bad role model?"

"No, Isaac! Of course not! But that's your grandson. I talk about stupid stuff like the guy I'm dating or. . . my hair!"

"Are the boundaries between work and social blurred around here? Sure. But you're not the one that blurred them. Dana, these people are your friends. Half of them you knew before Sports Night even existed. What you talk about during your downtime is your business. It's your professional reputation that matters."

"Calvin Trager told me that my professional reputation is that I can't keep my mouth shut."

"You can't keep your mouth shut. You're working on that. But your professional reputation is also the reason why he gave you that raise."

"You think?"

"Well, it's not because he thinks you're beautiful."

"Calvin doesn't thinks I'm beautiful? Wait. Nevermind. Don't answer that. Ugh. This is what I'm talking about! I can't even concentrate on one thing."

"You know, Dana, there's a simple way to judge how professional you are. All you—"

"ELLIOT! I'm still waiting on the live-feed!"

"We're working on it, Dana!"

"Work faster! I'm sorry, Isaac. You were saying?"

"That. That's how you know you're a professional."

"That?"

"Yes, that. That no matter what you may be talking about at any given moment, you never stop thinking about the job. As long as you do your job and do it well, then you can talk about whatever you please while you get it done."

"Thank you, Isaac."

"You're welcome. Oh, and Dana? Before you go. . ."

"Yes, Isaac?"

"If I were to venture a guess, I would say that Calvin Trager thinks you're beautiful. In fact, if I were a betting man―and I am―I would wager that he thinks you're more than just beautiful."

"You think?"

"Well, the man has eyes, doesn't he?"


End file.
